What happens when you take two of the hottest trends, tablets and augmented reality, and merge them? What happens is you get some very cool examples of how the right device with the right application can change the way you experience life.

There is no doubt that tablets will have a huge effect on learning. For example the Natural History Museum in London just released an interactive film called Who Do You Think You Really Are?

For the first time ever, you can bring a dinosaur and an early human to life before your eyes with the totally unique, state-of-the-art interactive film Who do you think you really are?, now on show in the Attenborough Studio at the Natural History Museum.

Guided by Sir David Attenborough, Who do you think you really are? uses 3 independent screens, web cams and specially designed handheld devices that allow you to take part in a virtual journey back through your evolutionary past to where extinct creatures will appear to roam around you in the studio.

The interactive film uses a mix of CGI models developed with support of the Wellcome Trust, BBC natural history footage and interviews with leading Natural History Museum scientists to explore how we have gradually evolved from the earliest life form.

Thanks to an innovative partnership with BBC Research & Development, this is be the first time augmented reality – the blending of computer graphics into real life – is used in a high profile public space in this way.

It is also safe to say that tablets will be integrated into entertainment experiences and featured in film, music videos and more. The Black Eyed Pease feature the Blackberry Playbook in one of their latest music videos. They use the Playbook to render cartoon images on buildings/walls into moving animations. Check out the below video and you will see the start of the augmented reality example at about 2:15 into the video.

It is also clear that the tablet market will not be dominated by the iPad in the future. With more than half a dozen new tablets being introduced in the last few months the marketplace is evolving at a rapid pace. Some examples of the more dominant players are below (except the Blackberry Playbook which is shown in the above video) with a video featuring augmented reality on the tablet example. Read More »

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